Joined In Feb 2023
No info available
I had such an amazing experience with my first time ever diving. Signing up for the class from the website is easy and navigating around the course is simple as well.
Even if you are completely new to diving, the courses very well prepare you for what to expect and possible hazards that you could encounter. Some basics:
-Get a mask that fits
-You'd need to experiment with different fins that match your swimming style.
-Get the hose with a valve, you'll need it when youre hitting the real waves.
-Buy the boots with the extra layers; your feet and fins will thank you.
-Always use defog every time you can because it will fog every time it could.
-Remember to breathe.
-Have a separate bag for your valuables.
My class' instructor was Mark Kempe, and he was the most personable person I've ever interacted with. He loves talking about VR (Half-Life: Alyx) and software - he loves that stuff. He also used to fly planes, ride bikes - pretty much everything - he's done it.
Javier, the owner, is such a cool guy too. Tons of fun experience to share and encourages you to join them, too. He likes flight simulator games. haha
We started off with 2 days of pool diving. We got familiar with our gear, practice basic skills, we even got to play around with the extra air we have left to get comfortable.
Same thing was with day 2 - we picked up where we left off and we just had the rest of the time to continue practicing the skills that we could improve on.
Day 3 - it was at Veterans Park, Redondo Beach. It was raining too, and it added to the already fun trip. I felt very comfortable with what ive learned in the pool and i was actually pretty excited for our first open water dive. Got to see an octopus. Remember, to walk on your feet until you cant walk anymore and then put your fins on. Dont be afraid of the open water and stay close with your buddy.
Day 4 - CATALINA! When you get to Catalina, USE THE TRANSPORT SERVICE - its SUPER WORTH IT. They will pick up and load one bag and transport it to and from the dive site and they will even store it for you until you are ready to leave - it will save your back and it will save your energy. At the dive site, you dont even have to go far to see the beautiful stuff - its right there when you hit the water! Mark even saw a technical diver with the advance gear and had him show us how it works and how its different. I think that person was a technical level diver and he also explained everything very well. WE GOT TO SEE THE BLACK SEA BASS!!! OMG.
I cant wait to make new friends and go on more dives. This opens a whole new world of opportunity and adventure for me, and its only going to get better and more fun from here. - via